The Difference a Friendship Made
by AtarahPern
Summary: Draco did have one real friend growing up. Read on to see how knowing Emily influenced him. Rated T for Character Death
1. Chapter 1

Before you begin reading, I'm going to warn you... The story starts off completely from one person's POV, after a while it switches back and forth, and finally it's from someone else's POV. If that kind of thing bothers you and distracts you from enjoying the story then stop now. If you believe in the omniscience of the reader then you might not even really notice. ;)

It began, as most interesting stories do, with a chance encounter. Before that, Emily was just a sweet little girl of no consequence. Born to an impoverished life that became even more so when her mother died, Emily took great joy at the small things in life, and it did not take much for her to break into a bright smile.

Her father, Walter, was the gardener of a grand estate. In a neighborhood of wizards and witches, the estate was a testament of the great power wielded by its owners. The house itself was dark and grim, but the gardens and grounds surrounding it flourished due to Walter's hard work. Magic would have made his job much easier, but he was born without that ability. Never able to tap into the magic as everyone else around him could, he worked hard and was content with the muggle-like existence he lived.

Emily's father did not keep the knowledge of his deficiency from his daughter. She grew up knowing about magic, but she saw it from her father's perspective. Magic was useful, but there was a certain joy to be had getting into a job and getting your hands dirty. Emily greatly admired her father and respected the hard work he did. With that admiration began a deep prejudice against those who could practice magic because they treated him so poorly.

Emily was treated poorly as well, by the other children in the magical neighborhood. Despite the fact that she was such a happy child, the other children avoided her. This became especially noticeable when she started school. She always sat alone at lunchtime and played alone at recess. If there was an activity where others were forced to include her, Emily was the last one picked. At first Emily thought it was her patched clothes and worn shoes that made everyone think she wasn't worth their time. As she grew older she learned she was truly looked down on because of what her father was.

One day Emily came home from playing with a bloody nose and ripped clothes. Her father sat down with a sigh and cleaned the blood from her face. "You started this fight?" he asked in disbelief.

"Tommy started it." Emily answered with a frown. "I only hit him because he wouldn't stop."

"He wouldn't stop what?"

Emily looked down at her shoes. She didn't want to repeat the ugly things they had called her father. "He wouldn't stop saying things…"

"Saying things about you?" Walter watched as she shook her head. "About me?" he asked softly, then gathered Emily into his arms as she began to sob. "Oh sweetheart." He held her tightly until she calmed down. "Growing up I heard the kinds of things you heard today. For a long time it made me mad too. But my dad told me something that helped and I'm going to tell you." He pulled away from her to look her in the eye. "Names do not change things. You can call a dog a bird, but he will not fly. Call a bird a dog and it will still sing a sweet song in the morning." He gave her an understanding look. "Call me a Squib, but I will still be a man who loves his daughter very much."

Emily's eyes went wide when he said the dreaded word. She hugged her father again and thought about what he'd said. Finally she said, "I promise not to get in any more fights."

Though Emily kept her promise, her anger didn't go away. The whispers of the other children and the nasty things they said about those who had no magic only strengthened her resolve to have nothing to do with them. While still a very pleasant child who happily played by herself, she subtly distanced herself from anyone and anything magical.

Sometimes Emily accompanied her father to the gardens to help him. One afternoon when she was seven, while looking at a string of rosebushes, she heard the faint sound of someone sobbing. Making her way through the garden, Emily found a boy her age beneath the undergrowth. "Are you hurt?" she asked him softly.

"No," the boy replied harshly, wiping his tears off with the back of his hand and looking at her sulkily. "Who're you, and what are you doing in my father's gardens?"

"My name is Emily," she said as she sat down near him, ignoring his rudeness. "My dad tends the plants here."

"Oh, you mean the Squib." He looked away dismissively.

"Don't call him names!" Emily shouted, standing with her fist clenched. "My dad is a wonderful man and he doesn't need magic! Look around this garden and tell me that magic can do better!" Her eyes flashed with anger as she defended her beloved father.

The boy scowled back at her and nearly told her to get lost. But he was still feeling very sad, having been reprimanded for talking back to his father. He decided quickly that he would rather not be alone and thought of a way to placate her. After a moment he muttered under his breath and a blue rose appeared in his hand. He held it out to her and grinned as her eyes lit up.

"It _is_ very pretty." Emily conceded, her manners keeping her from discounting the flower for its unnatural color. She reached out and took the rose, but immediately dropped it. "Ow! Couldn't you have made it without thorns?"

The boy laughed. "It has to have thorns silly! Couldn't call it a rose if it didn't, could you?" Then he looked at her with one eyebrow raised and proudly said, "They call _me_ Draco. What's your name?"

"Emily," she answered around the injured finger she'd crammed into her mouth.

Draco picked the blue rose up and handed it to Emily again. "You should be more careful with things that can hurt you."

"I try to stay away from things that can hurt me." Emily reluctantly took the rose back, holding it with just two fingertips.

"Then you should go home." Draco turned his attention from her and started tugging at a fallen branch. "There's too many things that could hurt you here, roses, bees, even me."

Emily shook her head. "You're not going to hurt me."

"Maybe, maybe not;" Draco shrugged his shoulders. "but I could."

Not sure how to reply to that, Emily sat thinking about what he'd said. Deciding that Draco hadn't been threatening her, just stating a fact, she chose to ignore it. "I'm not ready to go home," she finally said.

"Me neither."

Emily looked at the flower she still held. "Do you like flowers?"

"No." Draco curled his lip in disgust. "Flowers are for girls! I like dragons!" Excitedly, he whirled around with his arms spread. "Flying around and spewing fire!"

Emily laughed, enjoying his antics. "Maybe one day you'll have one for a pet."

"Shows how much you know! Dragons are too big and dangerous to have as pets! Mum would never let me have one." Draco stopped and with a conniving look added, "but Dad might."

"What's she like, your mum?" Emily asked.

"She's nice." He looked at her strangely. "Why?"

"I don't remember mine. But sometimes I imagine what it would be like to still have her." She explained, looking a little melancholy. "My dad is wonderful and does all kinds of things for me, but I bet it's different to have a mom too."

"Oh, well, sure its nice. She takes care of me when I'm sick, and gets me gifts, and yells at the house elf to make sure I'm happy." Draco pulled a stick off a tree, striping it's leaves off as he spoke. "My mum taught me how to ride a broom, but she won't let me do it by myself yet."

"Of course not!" Emily said, concerned. "You could fall off and break something!"

"I won't fall off! I'm going to be a great Quidditch player." Draco straddled the stick pretending it was a broom.

Emily giggled and jumped to her feet. "Oh! Can I have your autograph?"

Draco cocked his head, trying to decide if she was mocking him. Finally deciding that she was just playing along with him, he took off running and shouted over his shoulder, "You'll have to catch me first!"

From that moment on, their friendship grew. When it was time to part, they made plans to meet again here in this now special hidden part of the garden.

Emily very much enjoyed hearing him talk of his mother, for she often wondered what it would be like to have one. Other tales he told of his life gave her an even greater appreciation for her father and their quiet home. When she told her father of Draco, for she always shared everything with her father, he cautioned her to guard her heart. He would rather shield her from the dark things that some said the Malfoys were involved in.

Emily's sense of humor and depth of caring were just what Draco needed to fill an unrecognized void in his own life. From a very young age, he had understood that his parents love was conditional. As long as he behaved the way they wanted him to, and played by their rules, his father would be proud of him and his mother would hug him. Were he to cross that line however, do something that made the family look bad; there would be scolding and banishment from their presence. He soon learned that anyone or anything that stood between him and his parents' approval must be removed, forcefully if necessary. Because Draco was uncertain how his parents would view his friendship with Emily, he kept it a secret. This friendship was a pleasant diversion and he did not want to be told that it had to end.

Years passed, their friendship remained. They met regularly in secret and shared gifts for birthdays and holidays. When Draco turned 11, Emily gave him a stone carved into a sleeping dragon. Her delight in giving it to him was greatly diminished by the discussion they had that day.

"I'm eleven now! You know what that means!" He was breathless with excitement when he sat down beside Emily in their special place.

"Something splendid obviously." Emily smiled at his enthusiasm. She could not imagine what would make him so very happy.

Draco looked at her with a huge smile she rarely saw. "Hogwarts, of course. I can hardly wait to go!"

"That's wonderful Draco!" Emily had to force her own grin as she felt her stomach twist into knots. "You're sure to enjoy it there."

"Learning potions and spells and flying and quidditch!" He lay back in the grass. "Mind you I've done some flying already. Not much to it really." A small shadow crossed his face. "I just hope I get into Slytherin. That's the house father was in you know." Draco knew that anything less than the house his father had been in would be unacceptable. To distract himself from that line of thought, he asked. "What house do you hope to get into?"

Emily stared at her hands and answered softly. "I won't be in any of them. I'm not going to Hogwarts."

"Why ever not Em?" Draco sat up to look directly at her.

She answered with a heavy sigh. "You know how I feel about magic. I don't want it for myself."

"Yes I know." He did know; it was something that they had discussed many times, and though he could not agree with how she felt, he understood it. "I just never thought about…"

"You, going without me. I know." Wanting to veer away from the painful future and enjoy the moment, Emily shook her head and smiled at him. "But that's not for months, and today is your birthday. I hope you like what I got you!" She handed him his present.

Draco unwrapped the gift and smiled back. It was a secret between them, how much he liked dragons. "Thank you! I really like it!" He especially liked that it was small enough to slip into a pocket and imagined he would do so while away at school so that he would not miss her so much.


	2. Chapter 2

Emily never got a chance to say a proper goodbye to Draco. She was busy caring for her father, who had developed a fever. Draco did remember that her birthday was the day before school started and sent her a birthday gift and letter by owl. _Wishing you a happy birthday! I will miss you! Write often! _When she unwrapped the gift, it was a framed picture of Draco; a special wizard picture that smiled and waved at her.

A few weeks later, she got another owl from him. _Hogwarts is all I hoped, but I wish you were here to share it all. I am in Slytherin! My potions teacher seems to favor me. The big news is that the famous Harry Potter is starting this year as well. He completely blew me off when I offered friendship and seems to prefer the company of MuggleLovers. Sorry, a bit of my father speaking, but Potter rubbed me the wrong way. Rotten brat somehow got himself appointed to the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Suppose father will want to know why I didn't manage to as well._

Emily sighed as she read Draco's frustrations. He always took things so personally! She wrote back what she hoped was a mollifying reply. _SO happy to hear from you! I cannot wait 'til you're home on holiday and can tell me all about it! Try to forget about Potter- he has no idea what a great friend you can be. I didn't think first-years were supposed to play Quidditch anyway. Next year you will be on the team, I'm sure!_

As holidays approached, Emily counted the days, feeling lonely without her best friend. There were not many children her age living nearby, and those that did avoided her and her father because of his lack of magic. Being an outcast for such a ridiculous reason just confirmed Emily's opinion that she had no desire to find out if she could do magic or not. Her father had tried to talk her into it especially when he found the invitation to Hogwarts in the trash bin, but she refused. On the other hand, she could not wait to hear about all of the magical mystery that was Hogwarts.

Unfortunately, for both Emily and Draco that winter was a near constant stream of bad weather and there was no way for them to meet safely. Because Draco was keeping their friendship a secret, he did not get the chance to send her an owl but once while he was home. Once he was back in Hogwarts, he was able to send her messages more often and told her just how bitterly he missed her. _Do wish we could have met! No one understands me quite as well as you do Em, there at home or here at school. In fact, most everyone here avoids me all together, except Goyle and Crabbe who follow me constantly. I think their fathers and mine decided I needed bodyguards. At any rate, they are useful for getting my way and keeping me at the top, which should please father. But they are a bit thick and sometimes I wish they would leave me alone._

As concerned as that letter made her, Emily began to really worry about Draco after the next. _Caught Potter and his cronies out after hours, but Prof decided I should be punished too. Simply unfair! Had to trudge through the forest with that giant man/beast Hagrid looking for something dangerous. As if the creature wouldn't be dangerous to us as well! When we found a dead unicorn, the dog and I had the sense to run away leaving Potter to stand stupidly and meet up with whatever had killed it. Wish whatever it was had gotten him too!_

Finally, first year was over and Draco was home. Emily was nervous for their first meeting. The letters he had sent were increasingly dark and morose and she hoped her friend had not been changed so drastically; that their friendship would not be affected. When the moment finally came, she noticed he was taller and the shadows under his eyes were deeper. There was a harder look to him. But when he saw her, he smiled and reached out to hug her warmly.

She smiled back. "It's been nearly a year Dray; you've gained inches on me!"

"Yeah, mum keeps going on about it. The house elf is busy altering half my clothes to hold me over 'til we go shopping."

"Well come, tell me all about Hogwarts." Emily sat and patted the ground beside her.

So it was that over the summer they renewed their friendship. Emily was relieved to find Draco still valued her. Draco was grateful to have someone who truly listened and cared, something he was quickly learning was a rare treasure. Even when she elbowed him in exasperation, he realized that Emily was one of the few who had physical contact with him. When he left in the fall for second term, they both felt a little bereft.

Draco's first letter to Emily started out all about Quidditch. _Made Seeker this term. Everyone teases that it's only because Father bought new broomsticks for the whole team, but I'll show them! _He went on to describe in great detail his uniform, his teammates, how he got compliments and attention from everyone for his skill on the practice field. He was so obviously enjoying himself that it make Emily smile to read it. Then, as if he had started the letter one day and finished it another, the subject turned to recent exciting events at the school. _Everyone is saying the heir of Slytherin has returned to Hogwarts. Mudbloods and Mugglelovers beware! Someone or something is attacking students and leaving threatening messages behind. Many people think Potter is behind it, but I don't think he has the spine for it. I enjoy seeing him be blamed though! _

Emily tried not to worry about Draco, but she still felt relieved as she started to read the next letter. _The first game was exciting, but I got distracted and missed my chance to catch the Snitch. Somehow, a ball was bewitched to attack Potter and I was so busy enjoying watching that, I forgot to watch for the Snitch. Caught trouble for that from Marcus and Father. Won't make that mistake again! Got Potter back though in a duel. You should have seen his face when I conjured a snake! Obviously he underestimated my skill! I'm sorry I won't be home for Christmas. Father says the Ministry has been snooping about the manor looking for dark magic items, and its best if I'm not there while they search since I know where they are hidden. So I'm stuck here. Maybe I'll use the time to figure out who the real heir of Slytherin is so I can help him._

As she finished the letter, Emily wrestled with the feelings twisting her stomach. She had found out that the Malfoy family was associated with cruelty, greed, and vengeance, but she had never before made the connection to dark magic. Every waking moment for the next several days, she analyzed conversations and agonized over details she had overlooked before. Always she came back to the question of whether or not to continue this friendship that had become so very dear to her. Each time she sat down to write Draco a reply; she ended up tossing it in the bin.

Two weeks passed as Emily struggled with herself. Draco sent another message, short this time, but definitely to the point. _You haven't written back Em. I hope all is well. I miss you. I'm going mad with only Goyle and Crabbe about. It occurs to me that I may have frightened you with all my talk of Slytherin's heir. You needn't worry about me. Being a pureblood, I'm quite safe. Don't let your fear get in the way of our friendship, please. I don't know what I'd do without you. Hope you have a Merry Christmas! _Tears filled her eyes as she read and she determined to stay friends with Draco if only for his sake. After all, he had never hurt her before, and if he did in the future… well, she would walk away then. In the meantime, she would hope that she could influence him away from the dark magic of his father.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Draco was done with his second term, Emily had come to terms with her realization, and eagerly awaited their meeting. Almost 13 now, he'd grown more, looked a little leaner, even a little meaner; but maybe that was her imagination. The look he was giving her now was positively rakish. "What, no welcome back hug?" He said in a teasing tone. "Come clean Em. Something's changed between us. I've read it in your post, I see it now on your face." Draco stepped closer and looking directly into her eyes, searching.

Unable to meet his eyes for more than a second, Emily looked down. "You've always been my best friend Dray. But this dark magic… it scares me." Once she started talking it seemed easier to go on. "I don't want you to be hurt, or for you to hurt others. I can't watch while you turn angry and bitter and nasty like your father often is." She reached out to take hold of his arm briefly. "You're too important to me."

Whatever Draco had expected from Emily, it wasn't that. He stood still conflicted between hugging her tightly to him, or walking away without saying goodbye. It was good to know she cared about him that much, and yet she was asking him the impossible. "I must be true to what I am." He finally answered. "I am a Malfoy. We are proud and powerful. There have been times we've used dark magic or stepped on others to get where we are today." He crossed his arms and looked down at her, a part of him noticing that he still had a few inches on her. "Would you rather I pretended and lied to you?"

Emily crossed her arms as well, but it was more of an effort to hold herself together. "No, of course not." She said softly as she fought back tears. "But that's not all of who you are either. You care for your parents very much and…" She found it impossible to add that he had cared for her as well.

"The list of people I care about is very short indeed." Draco agreed harshly. Then noticing the tears escaping her eyes, he sighed heavily. "And I would do anything in my power to protect them or avenge them." He reached out to wipe a tear from her cheek and added softly. "I'd rather not hurt you Em." Then he tried to lighten the mood. "After all, can you imagine me trying to avenge you? I'd be beating my head off the wall like our house elf does when he's been naughty."

Recalling the stories Draco had told her of the silly creature, Emily managed a weak smile. Encouraged by that, Draco wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. "Let's start over. It's great to see you! Sit down and tell me all about the boring existence you've had without me."

Summer passed quickly once again. Emily still felt a great deal of uncertainty about the young man Draco was growing into, but hoped that in time the goodness she saw in him would overcome the part of him that was a mean-spirited bully. She said goodbye with a heavy heart.

Emily clearly saw the Malfoy power at work during Draco's third term. The handwriting on his first letter looked nothing like his and she soon read why. _Stupid man/beast Hagrid is now a Professor. Showed his depth of stupidity by introducing us to dangerous creatures. One nearly took my arm off! I won't be writing much until I'm better. Father is going to try to have Hagrid removed and barring that at least seeing the creature destroyed. Imagine, attacking a Malfoy!_

That was his only letter before holidays, though she wrote to him several times wishing him well. She did hear from her father though that Mr. Malfoy was unsuccessful in removing the Professor. When they met to exchange Christmas gifts, Draco had something very special for her.

"It's a mirror. But knowing you it's something more, what does it do?" Emily asked as she admired the pewter frame wrapped around the palm sized mirror.

"Look in it again, and think of me." Draco smiled at her.

Doing as she was told, Emily was still surprised when the reflection looking back at her disappeared. "It's gone black."

"That's because it's mate is in my pocket." As he took out a twin of the mirror and looked into it, Emily began to see his face in her mirror.

"I can see you!" Emily grinned widely.

Draco grinned back. "Even better. We'll hear each other too." He put his away to look at her directly. "I tested it at school. Had a girl named Pansy take it with her to her dorm room one night, nearly had to hex her to get it back. I think she's sweet on me." He rolled his eyes. "She's got a mean streak like my Aunt Bella. Just like fire, both of them, okay to be near, but you don't want to get too close."

"I'm sure she was helpful when you were injured." Emily was amazed to find she felt jealous and a bit confused by it.

"Oh yes, practically fawned all over me." Draco's eyes took on a mischievous look. "Then again, I _am_ a Malfoy. It's to be expected."

Emily snorted at his ego. "Ah of course, she's just the first of many I'm sure."

After Draco returned to school for the second half of term, Emily dared to examine that feeling of jealousy. She had to admit she didn't like sharing her only friend, and wished that she was as important to him as he was to her. Rarely did she see him in the mirror. But he did let her know that courses were tough as they closed out the year. There was also one rather lengthy letter from him about how the 'beast' that injured him in the beginning of the year had somehow managed to escape, and how Draco just knew that Potter was involved somehow as the latter looked far too pleased with himself.

That summer no matter what they did together, most of Draco's focus was on the upcoming Quidditch World Cup. "Father's got a box booked already. It's going to be such fun! Wish I could take you with me. Maybe one day I'll be a famous player and I'll get you tickets to see me play."

But when the game was over and Draco returned home for the week before school, he said hardly anything about the match itself. All the news was about the appearance of Death Eaters. "In all the confusion I lost track of my father and it was ages before I found him again." Draco told Emily. "I'll only tell you Em, I was fairly scared for awhile. People running about, screaming; and a great group of Death Eaters wandering through. Though I do wish they had run across Potter and his cronies." Then he reached into his pocket to get a small wrapped box. "I was thinking about it a lot when I was shopping with mother and picked out your birthday present."

Curious, Emily opened the package to find a delicate silver chain holding a iridescent crystal. "It's beautiful Dray! Thank you!"

"It's also spelled to protect the wearer from all but the darkest magic." Draco looked at her seriously. "I know you've no protection of your own. If you'd only be willing to learn I'd have taught you some charms."

Emily smiled a little broader and blushed slightly. The fact that her safety meant that much to Draco made her feel very special.

It was a difficult moment when they parted. "I wonder how much you will change this term." Emily said as they stood to say goodbye.

"Not much, you'll see." Draco looked at her a moment. "I'm the one who really has to worry. Every time I've come back you've been prettier. One of these days the other neighbor boys will notice."

Emily blushed. "No one else will ever notice me. I have no magic after all."

"Then you can be my secret." Draco ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm good at keeping secrets, you know." He kissed her forehead, rendering her speechless and walked away.

There was so much excitement at Hogwarts for Draco's fourth term that he wrote Emily almost weekly and contacted her through the mirror between posts. The Tri-wizard Tournament was being held on the grounds, and Draco forced himself in the thick of it as often as possible. Emily received so many little snippets of events that she didn't need to follow it in the news.

_We've got two other schools here for the term. Think I like these Durmstrang blokes! One of them was in the World Cup. Awfully glad I don't have to fly against him! _

_Somehow that Rotter Potter got his name in the running for the Tournament. Don't know how he managed to fool the system. Hope he gets beat down at the first challenge. I'll back Ravenclaw's Diggory against him anytime!_

_Ran into a reporter who asked me all about Potter and of course I used that to get back at him for the many injustices he's done to me. Too many teachers take his side! One especially is the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, real oddball. He caught me teasing Potter a bit and decided I should be punished by turning me into a ferret and shaking me about. It was horrible!_

_The first challenge was dragons! They were so beautiful Em, I wish you could have seen. There were four kinds! Was hoping Potter would get roasted, but somehow he made it through._

_Sorry to say I won't be home for holidays. Most everyone is staying for the Yule Ball. Made Pansy's day when I asked her to go with me._

_That Pansy is a minx. Spent the whole Ball glued to my hip and dragging me off to a corner to snog. Don't be jealous Em, after all I kissed you first! The best part of the Ball was seeing how miserable Potter was because the girl he wanted was with someone else._

_Unfortunately Potter made it through the next stage of the tournament. Supposedly there were mermaids involved, but all we did was sit beside a lake and wait for the players to finish. I was hoping for awhile that he'd drowned and taken that foul friend of his with him, but he turned up after all._

Just before the last stage of the Tournament, Emily's world crashed around her as her father fell gravely ill and died. Emily was devastated by the loss and walked about in a daze until she found herself in their secret hiding place in the garden. She fell to her knees wishing Draco was there and sobbed her heartbreak.

"Who's there?" Said a forceful feminine voice. "Come out of there at once!"

Gasping back her tears, Emily came out of hiding to see Mrs. Malfoy standing in the garden with a scowl on her face. "Who are you? What do you think you are doing in my garden?!"

Emily swallowed hard and answered "I'm sorry maam, I just… my father tended this garden… I was going to come and tell you." She hung her head as tears refused to stop falling. "He's died."

It was several moments before Narcissa spoke. When she did it was less harshly. "That certainly explains why you're here. If I recall correctly you have no family to go to. You're homeless now aren't you?" At Emily's silent nod, she continued. "Poor thing. My family means everything to me as obviously your father did to you." Narcissa put an arm around Emily's shoulder and led her away. "Come in and have tea with me and we'll see if we can't figure anything out for you."

So Emily set foot in Malfory Manor for the first time. It was grand and excessive and cold. Emily thought of Draco as she looked around and wondered about him growing up here. She stifled her surprise as they passed a house elf dusting, but Narcissa noticed. "What's the matter dear? Never seen a house elf before? Of course you haven't." She answered own question briskly.

Narcissa led the way down a hall and stopped in the entrance to a drawing room. "Oh Lucius." She sounded surprised. "I didn't realize you were here." She spoke softly over her shoulder to Emily. "Best wait in the hall a moment while I speak with my husband." Then she closed the door behind her.

Sitting in an ornate chair in the hallway, Emily heard snippets of conversation. The voices weren't loud enough to make out much, but she did hear "…The Dark Lord… not safe… perhaps…" The door opened suddenly and Mr. Malfoy stood before her. "Because your father worked for us, we feel a certain responsibility for you." He fixed her with a stare. "I know you are a pure-blood and your father had no magic. Do you?"

Thoroughly intimidated, Emily stammered. "I don't know sir. I never tried to do magic."

"You're of an age to be at Hogwarts with our son." His face curved into a haughty, proud smile as he mentioned Draco. "Did you not receive an invitation to attend?"

"I did sir. I didn't want to go." Emily wondered how to explain how she felt to someone who clearly used a great deal of magical power regularly. "We had no use for magic in our home, and I had no desire to learn."

Mr. Malfoy looked stunned for a moment, then dismissed her answer with a small hand motion. "No matter, if you were invited, then you have the ability. You can be taught." Suddenly he grabbed his arm and winced. Looking at Narcissa, he urgently said. "I have to go right now. Keep her here if you wish, we can figure out the details later." He disapparated immediately.

Narcissa frowned at the spot where her husband had stood. "And life will never be simple again." She shook her head with a sigh. "Come Emily, let's find you a place to stay and have the house elf fetch your things."


	4. Chapter 4

Draco came home from his fourth year at Hogwarts after spending several days in hospital recovering from multiple hexes. His mood was dark and grim and more than anything he wanted revenge on Potter and his friends. As soon as he got home, he slammed shut the door to his suite and pulled out his link to Emily. More than he ever had before he needed her calming presence. "Em, can you hear me? I really need to see you!" When she didn't immediately respond, he threw the mirror on his bed and proceeded to shout at the air and slam drawers, and nearly put his fist into the wall when he heard a timid knock at his door. Rolling his eyes at whoever wasn't smart enough to leave him alone, he stomped across the room and opened the door.

Standing in Draco's doorway after hearing all the anger he unleashed in the room, Emily was uncertain of her welcome. He just stood there looking at her for a moment as if he couldn't believe his eyes, then he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room and into his arms. Just holding the one person who was always there for him melted much of his irritation. As she wrapped her arms around him in turn, he took a deep breath and shuddered like a dog shedding water.

When Draco buried his head in her hair, Emily chuckled. "I take it you missed me."

Pulling away from her, Draco smiled. "The simple answer is yes." He put her at arms length and took a good look at her and sighed.

When it became obvious that he wasn't going to explain himself, Emily pulled away from him and headed for the door. "I'd love to catch up with you Dray, but it's probably best if I'm not found in your room."

"No, probably not." He followed her into the hall, and not a moment too soon, as his mother appeared at the other end of the corridor. "What _are_ you doing here?"

Emily's smile faded. "My dad died. Your parents were kind enough to take me in."

"I'm so sorry Em." Draco looked at her sympathetically as his mother approached them.

"Obviously introductions are unnecessary." Mrs. Malfoy said shortly as she observed how close and friendly the two seemed. "Now I know where you went all those times you snuck out." At Draco's startled look, she added. "Yes of course I knew, mothers do. The first time you disappeared for hours was when you were small… near 8. Have you been friends that long?"

"Yes maam." Emily said. "Draco was my first and only friend."

Narcissa nodded then pulled Emily aside and spoke quickly and quietly. "Protect your heart. You can never be more than friends. My husband would never agree to it." Then pulling Draco to her other side so that she walked between them, she said. "Come now, it's nearly time for dinner."

This summer was eye opening for Emily. While it was interesting to see a different family dynamic, she experienced many moments where she felt uncomfortable. Mr. Malfoy totally intimidated her and mostly ignored her, though he did insist on finding her a tutor to teach her magic. The best way to describe Mrs. Malfoy's treatment of her was distant. Narcissa was nice enough to her, but cold and harsh at the same time. Emily's friendship with Draco changed as well. They still talked often, but Emily saw a definite trend towards the dark magic that she didn't know how to handle. All three of the Malfoys were overjoyed with the return of the Dark Lord and eager to do his bidding. They definitely didn't consider Emily a threat as they openly discussed plans and actions they were making on his behalf.

Even the choice of Draco for prefect for the next year of schooling was tainted by the dark magic. He was excited to use the position for his own purposes at the expense of those he disliked most. Much of his conversation was how best to make Harry Potter pay for all the slights, real and imagined, to his name.

Some days were overwhelming for Emily and she cried herself to sleep. Learning spells and working magic seemed almost a slap to her father's memory. Everything in her rebelled against the darkness around her. If she only had somewhere else to go, someone else she could depend on. Things came to a head near the end of summer after Draco's aunt Bellatrix escaped from Azkaban and came to live at the Manor.

When they heard the screams, Draco and his mother rushed to the courtyard. "Bella, no!" Narcissa whipped out her wand and put a shield over Emily who stopped screaming but continued to twitch in pain.

Bellatrix laughed shrilly. "Why Cissy, I'm just testing her to see if she's learned anything. Draco is obviously a much better student!" She turned and bounced off into the garden.

Draco gently stroked Emily's hair while Narcissa chanted a healing spell. The charmed amulet around her neck was cracked and useless. In that moment he realized that Emily was actually in danger in his home from all the dark witches and wizards that came there. The thought of her in the presence of the Dark Lord suddenly made his blood run cold. "She's not safe here." He said softly to his mother.

"No Draco." Narcissa looked at him, watching the emotions play out on his face. "But she won't be safe anywhere else either. Only those who have great power are. Those the Dark Lord favors."

Nodding, Draco took Emily into his arms and carried her to her room. She wasn't in pain any longer, but was so traumatized that she had lost consciousness. As he laid her on her bed, he pressed his lips to her forehead briefly and held her hand. "I will find a place for you." He whispered before he left her.

That evening, Draco crept down to the basement where the Malfoy family treasures where hidden away. Many protective charms kept the basement from the Ministry's detection, not that that really mattered anymore. Draco was fairly certain there was nothing the Ministry dared to do to them now. There were even rooms in this dungeon that only the house elf could get into. Once he found a room suitable to his purpose he spent the whole night placing spells and charms upon it. He was exhausted the next morning when he met Emily at her door.

"Morning!" Draco smiled broadly. With a flourish of his wand all the contents of the room disappeared.

Emily glanced about in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"You'll see." Draco reached out for her hand. "Come with me." Shortly they were downstairs standing at the door to the room he had made. "After you." He opened the door and made a sweeping motion for her to precede him.

Emily stepped into a room that was much larger inside. It looked like half the garden was in there! A fountain bubbled softly in the middle of several paths winding through the flowerbeds. A tree stood in one corner with a swing hanging from it. All of her things had been placed to one side. She had to admit the bed and wardrobe looked out of place among the flowers, but it was very pleasant all the same. "It's beautiful Dray."

"Glad you like it." Draco's smile faltered a bit. "It's kind of a gilded cage though Em, a place for you to stay and be safe. I'll be leaving for school soon and I can't take you with me, and I don't want to be worrying for you on your own."

Taking another look around, Emily nodded. "Even for a cage, it's beautiful." She hugged him. "Thank you"

"If there's anything you want to change…" Draco started to pull out his wand until she shook her head. "Well, I'm going to Diagon Alley today if you change your mind. I've got my mirror on me. The house elf has been instructed to bring you meals and keep things clean. She's the only one who can get in easily, so you should be very safe here without me. At least for now. When I get to school I'm going to see if I can find somewhere there for you."

With a much lighter heart, Draco went shopping for the coming term. Slipping away from his mother for a bit, he found a small friendly cat that he bought for Emily. He spelled the cat and it's accessories directly to Emily's room and shortly heard her calling for him in the mirror. She sounded delighted.

Fifth term was rather a lot of fun for Draco. He found many opportunities to dock points from those who annoyed him most, filthy mudbloods and blood traitors, and especially Potter. The one not at all nice part of the beginning of the year was during a Quidditch match when he got hit with multiple hexes simply for making up an unflattering song about Weasley.

There was no post from Emily, for an owl couldn't reach her; but Draco spent what time he could speaking to her on the mirror. There wasn't much for her to say of course, other than how the cat was behaving. Draco thought she sounded much less stressed out than she had all summer. Once his mom asked what had happened to Emily, but she didn't really seem to care, so Draco had been evasive.

Things took a strange turn part way through term. A witch from the Ministry of Magic had come to teach and ended up policing the school for things the Ministry wanted corrected. She also created what she called The Inquisitional Squad, which Draco was only to happy to join. The chance to wander school, spy on and turn in fellow students was too good a thing to be missed!

Then there was the day that the Squad found out about the Room of Requirement. Draco was so excited he was smiling all day, something his schoolmates never had seen before. "Do you believe Potter was training other students in there?" He asked Emily when he talked to her that evening. "Fool had some list of people's names that said Dumbledore's Army. Exactly what Umbridge was hoping to find! The ministry decided that the headmaster was the problem, and turned him out."

"That's kind of awful in a way, don't you like Dumbledore?" Emily asked.

"Oh, I have loads of respect for him. He _is_ one of the greatest wizards of all time after all!" Draco snorted then and frowned. "But on the other hand, he is a bit too lenient on Potter. Umbridge will change that for certain! She's already punishing all the 'Army" students."

The following day he snuck down to the Room of Requirement, now that he knew the key, and thought about a place to hide something. The room that appeared for him took his breath away. It seemed to be a giant storage area. He knew he could spend hours if not days looking around, but this wasn't what he was looking for so he left the room and tried again. This time he thought of a place to hide a person and keep them safe. When the door opened again, the room was perfect for Emily. Now he just had to find a way to sneak her onto the grounds!

Fifth year ended badly for Draco and of course it was all Potter's fault as usual. The Dark Lord had charged his father with retrieving something from the Ministry of Magic building. Mr. Malfoy had spent all year working on the Minister and pulling strings. Now when all that hard work should have paid off, Potter showed up with his cronies and ruined it all. His father had been caught in the act as a Death Eater and been sent to Azkaban Prison. The only part of the business that Draco found satisfying was that his aunt had killed Potter's godfather.


	5. Chapter 5

That summer was dark and dismal for the Malfoys. The Dark Lord was _not _pleased that Lucius had failed. Draco at first thought the whole family was done for, but then the Dark Lord offered them a reprieve. Draco took his father's place as a Death Eater himself and was charged with a task, which made him feel important and, if he was successful, would restore the Malfoy name. Failure was not an option though he wasn't sure he relished the task itself. Somehow, he must find a way to do away with Dumbledore.

The first chance he got to see Emily, he proudly showed her the barely healed Dark Mark tattooed on his arm and told her all about it. She was of course frightened and refused to look closely at the hideous disfiguration. "But Dray, killing a man?" Pain filled her own heart as she thought about the horrific task.

"I know Em, it's not ideal." Draco found he was unable to look her in the eyes and continued as though trying to convince himself as well. "I have little choice, it's what he's asked me to do. You haven't met the Dark Lord, thank goodness. You cannot refuse him. He'd kill us all." At her gasp of fear and concern, he turned to Emily and took her hand. "Besides think of the prestige that comes with being one of the Dark Lord's favored. Perhaps he'll even find a way to get father back."

Knowing that Draco would not be dissuaded, Emily didn't bother to argue just how wrong murder was. Her only friend would need her when he was heartbroken over what he'd done. "I guess you don't really have a choice. But I wish you did."

Draco didn't dare to visit Emily again. The Dark Lord had taken up residence in the Manor and there were Death Eaters everywhere. He couldn't chance Emily's safety by getting caught going to see her. Finally when he was done packing to return to Hogwarts, he found time to go to her. "You'll have to trust me a lot this time Em. It's not safe for you here anymore. I'm taking you with me." He'd been practicing a shrinking spell all summer, and was ready for this moment. With a flick of his wand he shrunk her down small enough to fit in his shirt pocket. "Keeping you close to my heart as always." Then he instructed the house elf who had been tending Emily that she would continue to do so in the new room, and to bring the cat and anything else necessary once Emily was settled.

Emily couldn't speak loud enough to be heard, but she could hear everything around her as Draco left the manor and got onto the train. She heard his bragging to his schoolmates that he was appointed to do a special task. There were moments that she wished she could see the people around, so she could put names to faces, but as she wasn't likely to ever meet them again, it didn't really matter. She ended up falling asleep to the sound of Draco's heartbeat.

Jolted awake suddenly, she heard Draco shout a spell, and then speak nastily to someone. Then she could feel him moving away, and settled herself to wait.

Instead of heading right to the welcoming feast, Draco made his way through the hallways to the Room of Requirement. His best bet to not meet up with anyone was now. He stopped before the wall and pictured the room he'd seen. Entering, he breathed a sigh of relief and retrieved Emily from his pocket. "I'm sorry you had to wait so long, but this should be worth it." He placed her on the ground and did the spell to bring her back to normal size. "I wish I could see you settled, but I really have to get moving or my absence will be noticed." Draco smiled and hugged her goodbye.

As time went by, Emily kept herself busy with the many amenities the room provided. There were books and games and musical instruments and a magic mirror on one wall that was spelled to look like a window, showing random places and weather. It even got dark in the evening and slowly brightened with dawn. The house elf came to bring her cat and keep them both fed. One afternoon as Emily sat playing a simple card game, the door appeared and a girl ran in, breathing heavily and looking frantic. When she calmed down enough to speak, the girl told a story of being teased and chased and how just when she was searching for a place to hide, the door appeared. "And I'm ever so glad because I just don't think I could have run another step!" With a grin she held out a hand. "Astoria Greengrass, 4rd year, Slytherin"

"Emily, and I've never attended. It's a long story." Emily shook her hand and smiled warmly.

"Curious! Please tell me! I love a good story." Astoria sat down on a chair. "I promise to keep it to myself if you rather."

"Well…" Emily hesitated. What harm could it do? She told her story leaving out names and details that would give away others. "So my friend brought me here at the beginning of this term."

"That is one amazing story!" Astoria cocked her head. "Your only friend sworn to the dark side, and yet protecting you from it. Personally I'm not all that fond of the dark side, though my family does 'stride the fence' a bit, if you know what I mean. Don't really have a choice unless you want to go underground. Would you like another?"

"Another what?" Emily asked clearly confused.

"Another friend." Astoria said with a grin. Speechless Emily just nodded.

Astoria left soon after as it was nearly dinnertime. She came back the next day, and every chance she got after. The more they talked the more they found they had similar personalities and likes and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. Emily even found out that Astoria had a cousin who was born without magic, and so totally understood how Emily felt, adding that when Astoria was in her cousin's company she refrained from doing magic. "Just so she doesn't feel left out, you know. It's common enough among pureblood families that there really shouldn't be any prejudice anymore. With all the cousins marrying cousins to maintain their pureblood status, it's bound to cause problems."

When Emily told Draco about meeting Astoria, she expected him to be angry, but Draco merely shrugged. "Seems nice enough, at least her family isn't as closely connected as mine to the Dark Lord, so you should still be safe." He sighed and sat with his head in his hands. "Besides I've been so busy trying to do my assigned task plus keep up with school; I've no time to spend with you. I'd rather you not be so lonely."

Sitting down beside him, Emily reached over to scratch his back. "I'm sorry you have so much on you. I wish there was something I could do to help."

"It's all so much! I finally had to have someone else cover my spot on the Quidditch team. I've completely ignored my prefect duties. I haven't even docked points from Potter in ages!" He leaned back. "I'm completely wrecked." Then more softly he said, "I see his face in my sleep, Dumbledore. He doesn't really look surprised, just disappointed."

"I still wish you didn't have to do it. But since you have no choice, I hope things are better for you once it's done." Emily sighed in sympathy.

Draco smiled slightly then. "Aw Em. I'm so glad you're here." He reached out to put an arm around her and pulled her close. As she laid her head on his shoulder, he enjoyed a moment of peace. "Whatever would I do without you."

As time passed, Emily was increasingly grateful for Astoria's visits. The younger girl was very kind and attentive, an excellent listener and even better storyteller; all in all just about the best friend Emily could ever ask for. She noticed though that Astoria seemed a little frightened of Draco, but at the same time attracted to him. Whenever the girls were together and Draco came, Astoria sat staring at him. "He's very good looking. Are you sweet on him?" Astoria asked one day.

"We've known each other so long, I guess I take him for granted a bit. Besides I've always known that he wasn't an option." Emily answered. "Even if I hadn't realized that, his mother made it clear the first chance she got."

"He has a small following, at least he did before his dad got sent away." Astoria watched Emily to see how she would react to that.

"I admit I've thought about Draco as more than a friend on occasion. But I'm always afraid of the darkness that threatens him. Especially lately. He looks like he's not even taking care of himself, you know?"

Astoria nodded. "Bags under his eyes, wrinkles in his robes. Even his hair isn't as clean and crisp as usual."

"And he's always been so proud of his appearance." Emily agreed. "I'm really worried about him."

"If anything happens, I'll be sure to come tell you. But really, we're safe here at Hogwarts. It's simply covered in protective spells." At Emily's doubtful look, Astoria added. "Well if not completely safe, we're at least safer than those out there. I worry some for my family. I've got a sister here, same age as you and Draco, but the ones at home… Being pure bloods they're likely to get pushed into taking sides, and when that happens…" She refused to even finish that thought.


	6. Chapter 6

Emily continued to worry about Draco for the next couple of weeks. He definitely showed signs of being under tremendous stress. Though he tried to hide it for Emily's sake, the damage was obvious. There were even a couple of nights that he slept on the couch in her room, saying that he felt more peace with her than anywhere else. Eventually there came a day when Astoria came rushing in with the news that Draco had been injured in a duel with Harry Potter. Luckily Professor Snape had arrived at the scene in time to heal the wound that was quickly sucking Draco's life away. A few days in the infirmary would set him straight. Since the next morning was the weekend, the girls decided with most students out watching a Quidditch match so it would be safe enough for Emily to sneak out to see Draco.

Sitting in a chair beside the bed, Emily took his hand, waking him. "Em" Draco said weakly, smiling. Then his smile faded. "You shouldn't be out here, what if you get caught?"

"I just had to see that you were okay." Emily answered, fighting tears. "Astoria told me what happened."

Draco squeezed her hand. "Don't cry Em. I'm doing fine now, really. Just need some more rest, they said." Truth was he had never felt as weak before.

"Well don't stay awake on my account." She patted his shoulder with her free hand and then reached up to brush his hair away from his eyes. "Hopefully I won't run into Mr. Potter on my way back. I'd be forced to avenge you, and I'm pretty sure I don't know enough to do that."

Draco smiled faintly. "Then I'd have to avenge you. Vicious circle isn't it? Wish _he_ was my assignment instead. I'd much rather take him out. The Dark Lord hates him worse than I do, so I'd still be in the clear." He patted her hand after releasing it. "But don't anyway, I started it. Should've known better… didn't know Potter had it in him…" Then he stopped fighting his weary eyelids and went back to sleep.

The end of term was fast approaching when Draco's plans fell into place. He was able to let the Death Eaters into the school while Astoria and Emily snuck out to Hogsmead; and found himself alone with Dumbledore in the tower. Now that the moment was at hand, Draco faltered. A part of him screamed that he shouldn't go through with it, and oddly enough it sounded like Emily. Even now as Dumbledore spoke to him, applauding his ingenuity, and offering him a way out, Draco's wand shook in his hand. This other option appealed to him and he was just trying to figure out how to accept Dumbledore's help when the door behind him opened and the Death Eaters walked in.

The Death Eaters were patting him on the back for getting as far as he had and encouraging Draco to get on with the job. The voice that sounded like Emily was screaming now. As he frantically tried to find a way out of this hopeless situation, in walked Snape, who looked over the situation, and hit the Headmaster with a death curse; causing him to fall out of the tower to the ground. At Snape's direction they fled the school as quickly as possible. Draco ran as hard as he could, grateful that no one could see him cry while he ran. He was glad he hadn't killed Dumbledore, but knew he was still in danger. His only comfort was that Astoria could look after Emily without him. As soon as they reached the school boundaries they disapparated.

All the Death Eaters gathered at the Malfoy home. There was much rejoicing over Dumbledore's death. Draco watched as Voldemort walked through his followers with a smile of satisfaction on his face. Standing beside Snape, Draco wondered what his fate would be when the Dark Lord addressed the crowd. When the time came, he barely heard the words that called he and Snape forward. Snape was of course, rewarded. He was to be Headmaster of Hogwarts and train up all the children to follow Voldemort. As he felt the Dark Lord's stare turn to him, Draco was filled with fear.

Draco fell to his knees as the voice grated over him. "You have failed me. I gave you a task and you did not complete it." Pain blanketed him with a curse. Tears flowed freely down his face as he screamed. _Goodbye Emily! _Draco thought believing the next spell would be death. He'd let Emily down, and he'd let his parents down. Suddenly the pain stopped. Draco tensed himself for the final blow, hearing his mother sobbing and his father trying to calm her. "However you did try. Perhaps you might still be of some use to me if you try harder next time. I shall spare your life boy, but you will lose one close to you!" In an instant Voldemort was gone.

_Someone close to me_… Draco thought frantically. _His parents were in the room, running to him even now… who else? _Draco realized he hadn't been blocking his thoughts when he was being tortured. _Emily! No!_ Pulling the mirror from his pocket he called desperately, "Emily!" He saw her in her room, her face smiling at him briefly than looking away. She looked so frightened! Then he saw a bright green light and the mirror went dim.

Voldemort reappeared and dropped Emily's body in front of him. Her lifeless face turned toward Draco as she fell, her smile and friendship gone forever. "Do not fail me again."

Draco barely heard the words as he gathered Emily into his arms and took her out to the garden. With his wand he dug a hole in their special place and buried her. His heart broken, his world spoiled and his viewpoint fiercely shaken, Draco cried beneath the tree just as he had when they first met. When the torrent of grief finally slowed, he pulled from his pocket the dragon figure Emily had given him for his eleventh birthday. He stared at it for awhile noting the worn edges and thinking of how often it had brought him comfort over the years. Carefully he placed the dragon on Emily's resting place and with a silent spell he made it large enough to be a proper memorial. Then he sat beside it unaware of anything but his grief until his mother came to bring him in.

That summer Draco felt like a dog. Constantly listening for his master's call and running to do his bidding. The jobs Voldemort gave him were nasty and demeaning. Sometimes he was paired with his father, and noticed that while in the Dark Lord's presence Lucius seemed eager to do what was asked of him, but when they were actually doing the task, he seemed reluctant and hesitant.

In his bed at night, feeling battered and abused, Draco was haunted by the things he saw while doing the Dark Lord's dirty work. Images of children crying, women begging, and men trying in vain to protect their families filled his mind. At the very end of his frayed nerves, Draco reached out to the only memory that kept him sane. Gathering his pillow and blankets, he left his bed to lay on the floor in front of the fireplace beside Emily's cat. The creature looked at him briefly and went back to sleep, a soft purr emanating from it as Draco reached out to stroke it's soft fur. He lay like that, remembering Emily and petting her cat until the blissful void of sleep finally claimed him.


	7. Chapter 7

The torturing, the maiming, the killing, the screams, the blood; it was all starting to grate on his nerves. It had been building in him for several weeks now, the realization that all of this was wrong. It shouldn't really have been an amazing revelation, he supposed. Draco wished he could turn back time and make right all he'd done wrong. He'd even be nice to Potter. Instead he was forced to sit here, a prisoner in his own home and watch as Voldemort tortured another victim, this time a former teacher at Hogwarts whose body hung in the air above the table they were sitting around. He also had to listen as the Dark Lord mocked his family and made veiled threats. When the body suddenly fell dead on the table in front of him, Draco fell back out of his chair. As the great snake came forward to make a meal of this latest victim, Draco stomach turned. He forced himself to stay put, though everything screamed inside him to run away and be sick.

Shortly after, Draco was able to escape to Howarts for his last term. Things were honestly not much better there. His part in Dumbledore's death seemed to be common knowledge among students and staff alike. Each day was dark and dismal and completely regimented. As some teachers demanded the students practice dark magic, Draco saw the disgust and defiance on many faces. Secretly he applauded those who purposely bungled their potions and misfired their spells. He wished he had their bravery, but at the moment the Malfoy name was already rather worthless. Should he join the opposition, Draco was sure to be disowned and become an immediate target.

As it was, Draco had never felt more friendless. Even Goyle and Crabb tended to ignore him or bully him depending on what mood they were in. Pansy no longer fawned all over him, she'd decided Zambini was a better catch. Astoria kept her distance, but occasionally he caught her looking at him sadly. Only Moaning Myrtle would listen and commiserate with him, but how much comfort can you really get from a ghost after all. He missed Emily with a deep ache that threatened to consume him. Yet as awful as it was to be at school, Draco was grateful not to be at home.

Christmas holiday he found a reason to insist he had to stay at school. On Christmas Day, Draco found himself wandering the empty halls and reminiscing. Despite the fact that he should be in the dining hall, he had no appetite. Wandering aimlessly, he found himself outside the Room of Requirement. It was the first time he'd come here since the night Dumbledore died and he'd let the Death Eaters in. With a pang of regret he though of Emily. A door appeared and he walked inside. The room looked like she had never left. His picture still waved on her nightstand. Tears filled his eyes when he saw her mirror laying on the bed, where she had dropped it when Voldemort killed her. Emotion took control of him and he dropped to his knees, sobbing.

Draco was so lost in his grief that when he felt arms surround and hug him, he barely registered it. As the arms pulled him closer, he rested his head on a shoulder and heard a feminine voice speaking softly to him. That he could be so broken in front of someone else was a mark of how little he cared about anything anymore. As the wave of grief subsided, Draco drew back from his comforter. "Thank you." He said quietly without looking up.

Still kneeling beside him, Astoria rubbed his shoulder blade. "It's okay Draco. I miss her too."

"You don't understand." He answered, his voice breaking. "It's my fault. She'd still be here if I..."

"No." Astoria broke in firmly. "It's not your fault. It's only because of you that she was safe for as long as she was."

"He killed her because I failed!" Draco said harshly.

Astoria shook her head. "My father was at the Manor that night, he told me how the Dark Lord treated you. He killed her because he wanted to keep you under his thumb. Emily gave you strength and peace and he didn't want you to have that. That vile snake saw that Emily had a larger place in your heart than he did." Tears filled her own eyes as she added softly, "He was jealous because you _loved_ her."

Silently, Draco thought about what she said. Sensing that he wanted to be left alone, Astoria stood to leave. "Don't worry, I'll keep this a secret. I'm good at keeping secrets, you know." She added with a hint of a smile.

Remembering the time he'd said that same phrase to Emily, in just the same way; Draco smiled and almost reached for Astoria's hand. But then he realized that until this thing with Voldemort was over he could never safely let anyone get close to him again, and instead he let her leave.

Easter holiday found him trapped in the manor once more. There was no celebration, no special meal, even Aunt Bellatrix seemed subdued; although that might just be because Lord Voldemort had gone off somewhere without her. One day a band of rebels was brought in for the Dark Lord's inspection because their captor believed the girl was a friend of Potter's. When Draco was called in to identify the rebels, he was reluctant to do so despite all that had been between them in the past, knowing that their treatment would be worse if he did.

Draco had come to realize that living under Voldemort's rule was hell and the only relief would be his death. If popular opinion was to be believed the key to that was Harry Potter. Of course he recognized Potter when he saw him, even with the Jinx distorting his face! But to give Potter to Voldemort would be to give up hope itself. Draco owed Emily more than that. So he answered evasively, even though his father was pushing him. Unfortunately his mother and father both recognized the Granger girl, who his Aunt Bella began to torture as soon as the others were locked away.

Turning away to stare into the fireplace, Draco wanted no part of what was happening. As he heard Granger scream in pain, and Weasley calling her name; all Draco could think of was Emily and how he'd been equally helpless to rescue her. Just when he though he couldn't take any more, Bella decided she'd gotten a satisfactory answer and sent Draco for the goblin to verify it. Draco went down the basement stairs to fetch him, half hoping the other prisoners would do him in and end this vexing existence.

When he brought the goblin back, Draco tried to leave the room, but his mother stopped him with a glare. Narcissa didn't seem to be enjoying this any more than he was, and it was clear she didn't want to be the only trapped observer. Another brief sympathetic look told him that she shared his feelings on all that had been happening lately. Narcissa's family was more important to her than anything, and the Dark Lord had been treating her family like garbage.

Suddenly there was shouting and Potter and Weasley came running into the room. Potter seemed to be in pain, but both were flinging spells as they ran in. Draco drew out his wand and tried to hit them with a Jinx, but he didn't try very hard and didn't hit anyone. Bella stopped them in their tracks by putting a knife to Granger's throat and ordered Draco to take their wands. Then she put a hand to her Dark Mark, summoning Voldemort. There was a quiet squeaking noise, all the warning they got before the chandelier came crashing to the ground almost on Bella's head, loosened by Dobby, the former Malfoy house elf.

Draco was hit by some of the flying glass and staggered back. In the confusion, Potter grabbed the wands from Draco's hand including his own. Narcissa pulled Draco farther from harm and started shouting at the house elf. Whether she meant to or not, Draco never could tell; but she drew attention to herself and away from the rebel boys who were pulling the girl and the goblin away from the wreckage. After declaring his allegiance to Potter, the elf grabbed the rebels and disapperated on the spot. Bella angrily threw her knife after them.

Once they were gone, Narcissa came to Draco and helped remove some of the glass that still pierced his face and hands. In the background Draco could hear his aunt swearing and his father sobbing. It seemed only minutes later that Lord Voldemort arrived in a foul mood. The werewolf was the only one brave enough to tell why they had summoned the Dark Lord. Lucius merely sobbed harder and Bella fell at his feet groveling. Narcissa and Draco were frozen silently. Already angry at being summoned from the important task he was doing, Voldemort grew furious at the failure of his servants. As the Dark Lord's power overcame them and pain ravaged their bodies, Draco once again wondered why he had ever thought Voldemort's return would be a good thing.

Upon returning to school, Draco immediately went to the infirmary. Madam Pompfrey clucked over all his injuries and did the best with her wand and potions as she could without keeping him for several weeks. When he quietly and humbly thanked her for her attention, the nurse looked pleasantly surprised and patted his shoulder.


	8. Chapter 8

The semester continued as badly as it had started, but Draco was still grateful to be away from home. The only thing at home that he truly missed was his mother's love. She'd given him her wand to use this semester since Potter had taken his when he ran off. It seemed classes had barely begun when they heard that Gringott's had been destroyed and it was rumored that Potter was in the middle of it.

Just after curfew, a few days later, Draco was settling into bed and hoping for a dreamless sleep. Suddenly he heard harsh whispering and then urgent yelling as Slytherin dorm came awake. Wondering what was going on, he dressed quickly and joined the others being shepherded into the Great Hall. There they were informed that the headmaster had fled and the castle would soon be under attack. Everyone underage and anyone who did not want to fight against Voldemort was to leave immediately through a safe passageway.

Then Draco flinched as he heard Voldemort's voice commanding them to bring him Potter, who somehow turned up among them. They had one hour before the attack would begin. Draco groaned inwardly as Pansy yelled that Potter was right there, why didn't they do as they were told and turn him in? Draco drew his mother's wand ready to defend Potter if need be, thinking the whole while how ironic that was. But it wasn't necessary as the whole of Gryffindor moved to stand protectively around him. Then Slytherin was ordered to leave.

As those who were leaving entered the hallway to the exit, Draco pulled Crabbe and Goyle to one side so they could stay behind. At first the two glared at him, but then they decided they would grab Potter and turn him in themselves. Sorry that he'd grabbed them, Draco now would have to go along with them to make sure Potter would get away. He decided it was difficult this playing on one team while secretly cheering for the other, and wondered how Snape had managed it all these years.

Shortly after the battle started, as they wandered the corridors, the trio saw Potter and his friends enter the Room of Requirement. Crabbe sped up to grab the door before it disappeared. "Hold it Potter!" Draco called as he ran in.

Looking between the others' shoulders Draco saw Potter hear the warning and turn to defend himself. He noticed that Potter was using the wand he'd taken from Draco. Draco longed to have it back but knew it would be a battle to get it. Sure enough after a bit of verbal sparing, the curses started flying and Potter took off. It seemed like he and his friends were searching for something. Draco tried to convince Crabbe and Goyle not to kill Potter, but to find the thing he was looking for; but they would have nothing to do with it. Crabbe's bloodlust was out of control. Before much longer he let out a wild curse that started burning everything. The flames spread faster than they could run, and though the three desperately climbed a pile of desks, they could not escape it. Crabbe fell and became of victim of the fire he'd created.

Draco lost all hope and screamed as the fire came still closer. He held onto Goyle who was at that point stunned by a spell and useless. Draco saw Potter and his friends on brooms and miraculously, Potter turned to rescue them. On the broom behind Potter, he had another revelation. None of the Death Eaters would have risked their lives for him, and yet this boy that he'd been nothing but nasty to, had returned to the fire to pull him to safety. As they landed in a heap outside the room, Draco was too winded to give Harry his thanks before he ran away.

As soon as he caught his breath, Draco stumbled away, leaving Goyle behind. He had dropped his mother's wand back in the fire, and without it he was very vulnerable, as either side would probably look at him as a threat. Thinking he might come across someone who no longer needed their wand, he walked around the halls. Near the top of a stairway he was suddenly challenged by a Death Eater who refused to listen when Draco tried to explain that he was on their side. He didn't know if the man didn't know who he was, or didn't care. Suddenly the man fell over stunned. Draco looked around to see who had rescued him this time and caught of glimpse of Potter and Weasley under the Invisibility Cloak as Weasley reached out to punch him. He heard a mutter about being two-faced as he toppled over.

Stroking his sore jaw, Draco pulled the Death Eater's wand from his grasp. Then he kicked the man and walked away. Again he was struck by the disparity of how 'the other side' treated him better than the one he was supposed to be on. Any one under the Dark Lord's influence would not have left him alive if they felt he was a traitor.

From that point on he stuck to shadows, having to pull up the hood on his robes so that his hair would not stand out. Whenever he could he shielded students and teachers, and placed hexes on their attackers.

Making his way down a hallway, he heard screaming in a classroom nearby. Draco turned the corner just in time to stun a werewolf about to bite a girl whose wand had fallen out of her reach. He came closer to see if she was alright, and she flung her arms around his neck and sobbed in relief. Awkwardly Draco patted her shoulder and let her cry, keeping his eyes and wand glued to the doorway in case someone else threatened them.

Voldemort's voice grated into the air once more, calling back his forces and giving them a reprieve. Draco rolled his eyes as the voice said it was merciful. This action was not mercy, it was allowing everyone time to realize that people had died and gotten hurt, time to grow fear into their hearts. As the voice told Potter to come, Draco had no doubt that he would, and hoped beyond hope that Potter would be the victor.

When the voice stopped he heard Astoria whisper. "Thank you."

Draco looked down in surprise at the girl he had his arm around. He smiled and for a moment felt better. "Well, the thing about werewolves is… I don't like them very much." Letting go of her, he moved toward the doorway. "Guess we should go see if anyone needs help."

"What about this guy?" Astoria pointed at the stunned werewolf.

"We'll leave him. I'm sure someone will deal with him eventually." As they made their way down the hallway, Draco remembered something. "You shouldn't be here, you're underage!"

Astoria blushed. "I saw you'd hung back, so I did too. I'd have followed you, but those other two you were with scare me."

"You would have followed _me_?" He teased and bumped her shoulder with his own. When he saw her blush deeper, he reached down to take her hand. Draco had faced death too many times tonight to deny the attraction this time. He just had to hold on to the hope that Harry was going to win and make the world right again.

Before they reached the Great Hall, they saw several people moving bodies inside. With a nod of his head, Draco turned away from Astoria to find another who needed help. It wasn't long before he came across an injured student. Using his wand he lifted rubble off the boy's leg and then carried him gently to the area designated for healing.

Then Draco moved into the courtyard in front of the school. There were many more injured and dead there. As he moved through the rubble he heard whispering and looked up in time to see Longbottom and Potter talking. He couldn't catch everything they said, but before Harry moved away, Draco very clearly heard him say 'Kill the snake.' Once Potter had disappeared, Draco whispered "Best of luck, Potter. Knock him dead!"

As the hour Voldemort had given them dwindled to a close, dawn started creeping over the horizon, further emphasizing the damage done to the school. Inside the Great Hall, people were organizing to renew the fight when the heard the Dark Lord's voice again, telling them that hope was lost.

Stumbling over his own weary feet, Draco followed others who were walking out into the courtyard. He heard Professor McGonagal's anguished cry as the dark forces came closer. Craning his head, Draco was momentarily relieved to see his family alive, but then he saw Hagrid's burden and he slumped against the doorway he was passing through with a groan.

Immobilized by shock, Draco stood there as others passed him. He watched as brave Longbottom stood up to Voldemort and failed. Then miraculously, Longbottom broke free of the curse that bound him and a sword appeared in his hands. The boy that Draco had always thought dimwitted immediately used the sword to hack off the snake's head. Draco cheered as loudly as he could.

Then there was chaos. Death Eaters swarmed forward to attack, and students and teachers and others as well surged forward to defend. Draco again put up his hood and stuck to the shadows. He noted as he did so that his parents didn't seem to be attacking, but looking instead and wondered if they were searching for him. Draco worked his way around the edge of the activity. Just about the time he had nearly reached them, he heard Bella scream and turned his head in time to see her fall. Voldemort's fury silenced the crowd as he turned to kill the one who had taken down his most loyal follower.

Suddenly Potter appeared alive and faced Voldemort. Draco cheered and felt hope fill him once more. No matter what side they were on, everyone moved back from the pair and waited to see who would win. Draco listened as they taunted each other, telling everyone things no one had understood before. He learned that his mentor, Professor Snape had actually been fooling the Dark Lord all this time, and heard Voldemort say that he'd killed him. "No." He whispered feeling fresh tears fill his eyes. Then they were talking about the Elder Wand that Draco knew Voldemort had proudly taken possession of. In shock Draco heard Potter say that because Draco had disarmed Dumbledore, that the wand had looked to him as master. But he realized even before Potter said it, that because Harry had taken Draco's wand from him, that allegiance would have shifted. He saw the significance of that straight away and hope filled him.

A hand slipped into his and Draco looked down to smile at Astoria before turning back to the duel before them. When the pair finally threw out their spells, Draco noted that even with his worst enemy Potter still only tried to disarm him. It was over so quickly that he stood in shock for a full minute before bursting into a cheer at Voldemort's demise. Then he grabbed Astoria and held her tightly. "It's over!" The words choked him as his voice broke. Then he heard his name called and turned from Astoria to hug his mother as she came rushing to him. His father came up also and clapped him on the shoulder. Draco noted that his father looked broken and weary. There was no doubt that the whole family had been changed forever.

Feeling a tug on his arm, Draco turned to look at Astoria, who gave him a wink and a smile and took off into the crowd. He assumed she was going to find her family. Turning back to the questioning look on his mother's face, Draco grinned again. "That is Astoria Greengrass, and yes, you will be seeing more of her."

Then he sobered. "Mom, I'm sorry about Aunt Bella."

Narcissa nodded and her own smile faded. "Poor Bella. She wouldn't have wanted to live without the Dark Lord anyway." She sighed heavily and gave him a small grin. "But I have another sister. Maybe I should get reacquainted with her."

Aurors moved through the crowd rounding up Death Eaters. One stopped then beside Draco's father. "Mr. Malfoy, Draco Malfoy…"

The Auror was interrupted by Professor McGonagle. "Before you go dragging them away, I must have a word with the new Minister. Draco has been seen fighting on our side during the battle, and it has also been observed that Lucius, while not helping our cause, was also not doing any harm."

"Very well, for the time being I leave them with you Headmaster." The auror said and walked away.

"Please," She said kindly to the Malfoy's "Come in and sit down." As she turned them into the Great Hall, she put an arm over Draco's shoulders. "I saw you Malfoy, that hood didn't fool me a bit. I'm rather proud of you, and I'm sure Snape would have been too, rest his soul."

As Draco sat with his parents gazing out at students and parents and others too; he thought of Emily and wished she could have seen this day. He knew now that she had always seen the best in him. Because of her caring and kindness he had been able to recognize the wrongness in the world that Voldemort was creating. Through her he had met Astoria and could now think of a brighter future. Desperately he wished again that he could turn back time and be a better friend to Emily, a better friend to everyone. But at least now he had a chance to be a better friend in the future and hopefully make a difference in someone else's life like Emily did for him.


End file.
